Toilet ventilation device

ABSTRACT

In a toilet having a toilet bowl and a flush tank on the bowl in which an overflow pipe discharges overflow water into the toilet bowl and conducts obnoxious air and gases and odors from the toilet bowl into an air space above the water level in the tank, a ventilator casing which fits over the open top of the flush tank and bottom of the ventilator casing being substantially in the same proportions as the usual lid for the flush tank and it has an intake hole therethrough. A suitable blower or fan mounted on said bottom is located inside the casing. The walls of the casing are closed all around but are provided with charcoal filters for deodorizing and cleaning the air passing through the filters. The fan is driven by an electric motor from a suitable battery contained in the casing, and is controlled by a time switch so that the fan draws the air from the air space on the top of the tank and exhausts it through the filters. In a modified form a perforated hollow exhaust tube is placed either on the open top of the toilet bowl or on the toilet bowl cover with perforations in its inner periphery and is provided with a flexible connection into the casing of the ventilator capable of being set on the floor for directly drawing the air from the bowl and under the toilet seat into the casing and purifying it through the said filters. This separately located unit is also provided on one of its walls with compartments for magazines or the like.

United States Patent 1 Zimmerman TOILET VENTILATION DEVICE [76] Inventor: Joseph P. Zimmerman, 3868 Shadowhill Dr., Santa Rosa, Calif.

22 Filed: Feb. 17,1972

21 Appl. No.: 227,499

[52] US. Cl 4/213, 4/72, 4/216 [51] Int. Cl A47k 3/22, E03d 9/04, E03d 13/00 [58] Field of Search 4/213-216, 72, 209, 100

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,366,979 2/1968 Johnston 4/213 2,388,990 1l/1945 Nelson et al.... 4/100 UX 2,100,962 11/1937 Juntunen 4/213 2,017,590 10/1935 Duffner 4/213 2,105,794 1/1938 Norris 4/213 2,778,033 1/1957 Majauskas 4/213 3,386,109 6/1968 Christian et a1. 4/213 3,495,282 2/1970 Taggart 4 213 3,585,651 6/1971 Cox 4/213 Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-George B. White [57] ABSTRACT In a toilet having a toilet bowl and a flush tank on the [451 Oct. 9, 1973 bowl in which an overflow pipe discharges overflow water into the toilet bowl and conducts obnoxious air and gases and odors from the toilet bowl into an air space above the water level in the tank, a ventilator casing which tits over the open top of the flush tank and bottom of the ventilator casing being substantially in the same proportions as the usual lid for the flush tank and it has an intake hole therethrough. A suitable blower or fan mounted on said bottom is located inside the casing. The walls of the easing are closed all around but are provided with charcoal filters for deodorizing and cleaning the air passing through the filters. The fan is driven by an electric motor from a suitable battery contained in the casing, and is controlled by a time switch so that the fan draws the air from the air space on the top of the tank and exhausts it through the filters. In a modified form a perforated hollow exhaust tube is placed either on the open top of the toilet bowl or on the toilet bowl cover with perforations in its inner periphery and is provided with a flexible connection into the casing of the ventilator capable of being set on the floor for directly drawing the air from the bowl and under the toilet seat into the casing and purifying it through the said filters. This separately located unit is also provided on one of its walls with compartments for magazines or the like.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED [ET 9 75 sum 1 or 2 1 TOILET VENTILATION DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The previous devices for ventilating toilets required connections to vent pipes on the outside and therefore structural changes in the building, such as in US. Pat. No. 3,495,282 granted to Taggart on Feb. 17, 1970 or US. Pat. No. 2,371,923 granted to Sanford on Mar. 20, 1945.

In other prior devices structural changes had to be made either on the tank or on the toilet bowl or both as in US. Pat. No. 2,985,890 to Baither, granted on May 30, 1961. In an attempt to eliminate such structural changes to an outside vent or to the bowl, filtering unit was utilized in US. Pat. No. 3,087,168 of Huso, granted on Apr; 30, 1963, which alteration was necessary at the top of the flush tank in order to conduct air into a small filtering unit hung along one side of the flush tank.

An object of applicants herein invention is to provide a filtering unit which requires no structural alteration of the building, nor alteration of the toilet bowl, nor alteration of the tank, but which can be easily placed either on top of the flush tank in place of the usual lid, or it may be placed on the floor or some other support near the toilet bowl and by an intake placed on the top of the toilet bowl or secured to the underface of the toilet bowl cover, obnoxious odors in the air can be filtered out efficiently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partly sectional perspective view showing a toilet bowl and flush tank with the ventilating unit on the top of the tank.

FIG. 2 is a perspective detail view of the ventilator on a somewhat enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified application of the ventilator.

FIG. 4 is a fragmental view showing the intake conduit mounted on the underface of the toilet seat cover.

FIG. 5 is a sectional top view of the ventilator with wiring diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The usual toilet bowl 1 has thereon a lid 2 which is provided with suitable hinges 3. A flush tank 4 is mounted in operative relation to the toilet bowl 1. In this illustration the flush tank 4 rests upon a bracket extension 6 of the toilet bowl 1. Inside of the flush tank 4 are the usual flush valves, the herein pertinent part of which is an overflow pipe 7 which is communicated through the usual conduits 8 and 9 to the usual spaces or perforations around the rim of the toilet bowl 1 so that obnoxious odors and air, after or before flushing the toilet, escapefrom the toilet bowl through the overflow conduit 7 the upper end 11 of which is above the water level in'the tank 4.

In the top of the tank and above the water level 12 is an air space 13 in which air is trapped under the usual lid on the top of the flush tank- 4.

The ventilator device includes a casing 14 which has a front wall 16, a rear wall 17, end walls 18, and a top 19. A bottom wall 21 is spaced above the lower edge 22 of the casing so that a flange 23 is formed all around below the bottom wall 21 which'fits on the top of the flush tank 4. It is preferable that the bottom wall 21 be made of slightly compressible material or provided with a suitable gasket around its edges to rest upon the upper edges of the flush tank 4.

A fan 26 is mounted on the bottom wall 21 so that the intake 27 thereof is aligned with or extends through a suitable intake aperture 28. The fan 26 is driven by an electric motor 29 which in turn is connected to a suitable battery 31. The electric circuit, as shown in FIG. 5, is controlled by an automatic time switch 32 of the usual type whereby a person can turn on the time switch 32 to the selected period of ventilation, and after the predetermined period the switch automatically breaks the circuit. In the alternative the power source 31 may be a suitable cord connection which may be plugged in in the house circuit.

As shown particularly in the sectional view in FIG. 5, the sides and ends of the casing are normally open and are formed by suitable charcoal filter sheets 33 which are covered with a suitable grid formed in the respective walls or ends. While in this illustration such charcoal filter sheets are shown on one side and the ends, it is understood that the same type of filter sheets may be utilized on all the sides of the casing 14.

In the form shown in FIG. 3, the flush tank may be remote or so located as to render the use of a casing on the top of the flush tank inconvenient, therefore the modified ventilator casing is provided with suitable legs 37 and the intake 38 is through one end of the ventilator casing 36. The intake of the fan 26 is suitably connected to the intake 38. In other respects this floor filter operates in the same manner as the filter at the top of the tank.

In the form shown in FIG. 3 a suitable manifold 39 in the form ofa ring is provided on the rim of the toilet seat 1. Vent holes 41 on the inside periphery of the manifold 39 provide intakes when the toilet seat 42 and the lid 2 cover the toilet bowl. An exhaust spout 43 of the manifold 39 is connected by flexible conduit 44 to the intake 38 of the ventilator.

In the form shown in FIG. 3 the back wall of the ventilator casing 36 is formed with suitable perpendicular shelves or compartments 46 in the fshion of a magazine rack.

In the form shown in FIG. 4 the manifold 49 is shown attached to the underface of the toilet seat 42 so that it may be lifted therewith.

THe aforesaid device is very convenient and it can be installed without any tools or without any structural alteration either of the walls of the house or of the parts of the toilet or the flush tank, and the device operates automatically for a preset period, and it fully eliminates all obnoxious odors and discharges the purified air in the room where the toilet is located, keeping thatroom odorless.

I claim:

1. A ventilator device for a toilet bowl and a flush tank having a vent from the bowl to the top of the tank, comprising a closed housing having a bottom, a top, and side walls,

said bottom being impervious to air and being spaced above the edges of the sides and ends of the housing, thereby to form a flange around the housing substantially fitting over the top of said flush tank and being adapted to seal the top edges of said flush tank,

certain of the side walls surrounding said housing having filter openings therethrough,

2. The invention specified in claim I, said forced air circulating means being clcctrically operated, and a time switch on one of said walls adapted to close the electric circuit for operating said forced air circulating means for a preset period. 

1. A ventilator device for a toilet bowl and a flush tank having a vent from the bowl to the top of the tank, comprising a closed housing having a bottom, a top, and side walls, said bottom being impervious to air and being spaced above the edges of the sides and ends of the housing, thereby to form a flange around the housing substantially fitting over the top of said flush tank and being adapted to seal the top edges of said flush tank, certain of the side walls surrounding said housing having filter openings therethrough, filters in said openings being capable of purifying and deodorizing air blown therethrough, means within the housing producing forced air circulation into said housing and out through said filters, and means to conduct air from said tank through said bottom to the intake of said forced air circulating means.
 2. The invention specified in claim 1, said forced air circulating means being electrically operated, and a time switch on one of said walls adapted to close the electric circuit for operating said forced air circulating means for a preset period. 